"Boom!"
Lightning flashed in the cloudy sky.
A group of people channeled their Spiritual power in the Azure Cloud Prefecture, escorting a spirit boat forward. Amidst the thunderclap, they all raised their heads.
"The aura of the Li Clan members is right ahead; that is where Uncle Rain's Dao Domain is located."
At the front of the spirit boat, Han Ju, who had wrapped himself tightly, spoke with a hoarse voice filled with monstrous rage.
He, too, had fallen into the trap, and now the entire Azure Cloud Prefecture was tracking their whereabouts, yet Han Ju remained unwilling to accept defeat.
Swiping his hands over his Dharma eyes, he peered into the distance.
Outside the Dao Domain stood numerous Li Clan members.
The root vines of the Li Clan's Divine Tree pierced into the spines of the Li clansmen, continuously transmitting Spiritual power through the Divine Tree's body into the Dao Domain.
Moreover, more and more Li clansmen were rushing over from all directions.
"What are they doing?" Han Ju's gaze was ice-cold.
"A kind of array formation."
Beside Han Ju was Zishu Ling.
Three days had passed since they fled from the Li Clan.
Over these three days, she had increasingly developed the bearing of a superior.
Seeing the scene before the 1000-foot red tree, a hint of joy flashed in Zishu Ling's eyes.
"They are transmitting Spiritual power through an array formation. It is precisely because of this array formation that they are able to trap Uncle Rain!"
"Which means..." The corners of Han Ju's mouth curled up slightly.
"If we rescue Uncle Rain, we..."
Zishu Ling also let out a cold sneer, but her sneer gradually froze, her beautiful face losing its color. "Not good!"
An array formation arrived from afar, and fresh flowers fell from the cloudy sky one after another.
To their right, a group of never-before-seen cultivators charged at them without a word.
Without any warning, it was as if they had merely been passing by.
The leader was an elegant and luxurious woman. No... they were actually just passing by.
Zishu Ling stood frozen in place.
She was clearly only a step away from attacking the Li Clan from the rear, breaking their array formation, and freeing Uncle Rain.
She even heard these suddenly arriving people shouting.
"Consort Ji, we haven't seen these people before, and they don't possess the bloodline aura of the Li Clan. I swear, we definitely aren't hitting the wrong targets."
"Perfect timing! We ran into those trying to launch a sneak attack. Kill them without mercy!"
"Once we're done with them, we'll go support the Li Clan."
"..."
Zishu Ling stood there dumbfounded, gazing at the Li Clan's towering giant tree.
It was clearly so close. She was only a step away, just a tiny bit!
"How could this be? I still need to ascend to the throne, I want to be the Empress, I am the hope of the Zishu family..."
The remnants of their forces, which they had painstakingly gathered, were fleeing.
They had been on the run for three days, and every single one of them had been injured by the Li Clan's ambush. How could they possibly be a match for these people?
A figure drew closer and closer.
It was Consort Ji!
"Grand Tower... Why are the people of Grand Tower here? Why are they serving the Li Clan?"
Zishu Ling's entire body trembled. She knew of Consort Ji, Ji Wenxin.
She was once one of the rare favored consorts in the imperial palace.
Her Spirit Flower rules could enhance one's comprehension during cultivation, and she was also an expert at manipulating illusion methods.
Many years ago, she was stripped of her title due to the exposure of her identity as a member of Grand Tower.
She was no match for Consort Ji, not to mention she had already been severely injured by Li Yaoqing earlier.
"How could it be you?!!" Zishu Ling glared fiercely at Consort Ji, who had ruined her plans.
"Made it just in time."
Consort Ji gently extended her soft hands.
With a lotus, a water lily, and a peony appearing in her grasp, she looked at Zishu Ling and the numerous fleeing cultivators ahead, breathing a sigh of relief.
In the Thunder Fire Demon Cave, she had made the resolution to come and provide support, and she had felt Holy Monk Yidian's murderous intent.
But in the end, Holy Monk Yidian did not deliver the killing blow.
Consort Ji ignored the crazed Zishu Ling.
Slightly raising her head to look at that giant tree, she could feel that the Li Clan was sealing Uncle Rain's Dao Domain.
A smile appeared on her face; she knew she had bet correctly this time.
She recalled Holy Monk Yidian's back as he left with a final sigh, and smiled, "I am free."
"We are all free!"
The woman, who had been bound by the imperial court and Grand Tower for an unknown number of years, shed clear tears.
The people of Grand Tower, who were currently slaughtering the enemy, all paused slightly before bursting into laughter in the cloudy sky.
...
In the cloudy sky stood the Old Tree, its red leaves swaying amidst the dark clouds.
The root vines of the Old Tree pierced into the spines of the crowd, causing the Li Clan members to be suspended densely in mid-air.
Their bodies all drooped limply, making them look incredibly eerie.
A cold wind blew through the cloudy sky, revealing the crests tattooed on the bodies of the Li Clan members.
The Ancestral Spirit Array!
They were expressionless. Just as Li Wei had said, the family had known about this invasion nine years in advance and had prepared for it for nine years.
The ambushes in the major Grotto-Heavens were a setup; their true target was Uncle Rain.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, a rumbling sound came from behind.
The Li Clan elders at the very front opened their eyes.
Li Yaoqing blinked, "It's Zishu Ling's group. Who is attacking them?"
"It seems to be the people from Grand Tower."
Li Zhiheng recognized the group rushing over from the Thunder Fire Demon Cave.
Seeing that Li Yunlin beside him had already retracted the swirling Skyveil Hall in his hand, Li Zhiheng smiled faintly,
"It's for the best that we don't have to lift a finger. With Holy Monk Yidian gone, there is absolutely no room for error regarding Uncle Rain."
"Mhm."
Li Yunlin nodded slightly.